Interní Med. 2011; 13(6): 250-254

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in treatment of diabetic foot syndrome

MUDr.Michal Hájek¹, MUDr.Miroslav Koliba²

¹ Centrum hyperbarické medicíny Městská nemocnice Ostrava

² Interní oddělení, Městská nemocnice Ostrava

Chronic diabetic foot ulcers (diabetic foot) are a source of major concern and financial costs for both patients and health care systems.

The cause of diabetic foot ulcers is multifactorial, e.g., neuropathy and angiopathy, leading to functional disturbances in the

macrocirculation and skin microcirculation. Adequate tissue oxygen tension is an essential factor in infection control and wound

healing. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBO) is method based on breathing of 100 % oxygen under higher pressure than ambient

pressure and has beneficial actions on wound healing, antimicrobial action, reduction of oedema formation and stimulation of

fibroblasts. Adjunctive HBO therapy can be valuable for treating selected cases of diabetic foot ulcers. It seems to accelerate the

rate of healing, reduce the need for amputation, and increase the number of wounds that are completely healed on long-term

follow-up.

Keywords: hyperbaric oxygen therapy, hyperoxia, diabetic foot, ischaemia, neuropathy, infection

Published: June 20, 2011  Show citation